Română
It was a great honour to bring dance and dance therapy back to two of our partner hospitals, Voila – Câmpina and Eftimie Diamandescu – Bălăceanca, thanks to the mind-moving project funded in the Ro-Cultura programme.
We started from the premise that dance therapy is not just a recreational activity, but a pillar of emotional and social support, a place where music and movement come together to create a dance of inclusion, unity and hope, a refuge for many of the participants who sought an opportunity for self-expression, solace and joy.
Reflecting on the feedback received from patients participating in the dance therapy workshops, we have confirmation that our goal was achieved, that our intervention provided more than just choreographic movements – they were a vehicle for happy memories and a bastion of camaraderie:”I liked dancing and feeling happy and getting along with everyone” shares one participant.
The therapeutic aspect of dance was enhanced by “free expression” and “letting go of shame“.” as another participant pointed out. These moments of emotional release provided a gateway to a state of ” peace and harmony” rarely encountered in everyday life, let alone in routine hospital care.
Horas, group energy and “love for people” created an atmosphere of celebration, recalling the disco days of my youth: “I found how the passage of time is non-existent, i.e. I forgot about the passage of time. It’s as if I’ve become younger ” recalls with pleasure one of the dancers.
Dance was also a vehicle for expression, where participants began “with great emotions“, but have come to express “very simple” to dance „in group, in couples,” and experience an„excellent emotional release“, some even recalling their childhood.
The group atmosphere has been described as „very welcoming” a place where each person felt „free and well received“. It is a testimony to a space where everyone’s voice is heard and where ” to be more united and cooperate” becomes an achievable goal.
Feedback from medical staff reflects the same positivity, with them noting that patients “seem to be more relaxed and have a better mood” and „are enthusiastic and look forward to the workshop”. This highlights the profound impact that dance had on the well-being of the participants.
In conclusion, the participants’ request for more sessions and desire to keep in touch even outside of the workshop underscores the community’s need to keep this emotional and physical connection active through continued dance:”was little. We need to keep in touch more often, more varied, outside this space-institution, for the city community” points out one participant.
Article written by Loredana Larionescu, at the end of the series of 16 dance therapy workshops within the mind-moving project.
mind-moving is a project initiated and organized by Indie Box, in partnership with NOPA – Norwegian Society of Composers and Lyricists, Entuziart Association and Profeti ART SRL.
Implementation partners: Voila Hospital from Câmpina, “Eftimie Diamandescu” Hospital from Bălăceanca, Residence9, Trafo Kunsthall, Asker komune.
mind-moving is a project financed by the SEE Grants 2014-2021 within the RO-CULTURE Programme. The project has a non-refundable value of 969,072 lei (197,012.33 euros) and runs for a period of 15 months.
